Patriotic Professional Vs. Professional Patriots

The politicians in Karnataka are up in arms against NR Narayana Murthy, for his alleged stand on the National Anthem. At a function in Mysore in which the President of India participated, the National Anthem was played in instrumental as NRN felt it may embarrass the non-Indians in the audience if it had been played as a song with lyrics.

Now in the Olympics, a gathering as multi-national as possible, National Anthems are always played in instrument for all the medal winners. Hence his feeling is not entirely misplaced given that Infosys is now a company were people of several nationalities come to work. The problem is this topic falls in a gray area and there is no set precedent or a law about how the National Anthem should be played, unlike in the case of the National Flag.

What is ironic about this episode is that politicians (many of them with criminal records) are questioning the patriotic credentials of a man who has done far more for the country than many of them combined. It is a clear case of the politicians for whom patriotism is a profession, ganging up against a professional of the highest order.